PROCESS FOR MULTIPLE STAGE DIRECT ELECTROWINNING OF COPPER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for effectively and efficiently recovering copper from a metal-bearing material. SOLUTION: A system and process are directed for recovering copper from a copper-containing ore, concentrate, or other copper-bearing materials to produce high quality cathode copper from a leach solution without the use of copper solvent/solution extraction techniques or apparatus. The process for recovering copper from the copper-containing ore generally includes the steps of: providing a feed stream (101) containing the comminuted copper-containing ore, concentrate, or other copper-bearing materials; leaching the feed stream to yield a copper-containing solution (1030); conditioning the copper-containing solution through one or more physical or chemical conditioning steps; and electrowinning copper directly from the copper-containing solution in multiple electrowinning stages (1070 and 1080), without subjecting the copper-containing solution to solvent/solution extraction prior to electrowinning. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT